Ask a paranormal investigator how many times he or she has been asked to look at a picture the owner believes shows something other-worldly, and the number would be extremely high.
The face of a person who isn’t there reflected in a mirror, the outline of a figure hiding in the corner of a photographed room or, of course, the ever present orb, can cause much hype when seen as something paranormal.
Seeing these things in photos, videos or sometimes even with the naked eye, is known as matrixing or pareidolia, apophenia or anthropomorphizing. Basically, these are fancy words for your brain telling your eyes what to see.
Grant Wilson, co-founder of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) featured on SyFy’s Ghost Hunters, said matrixing is a term used to describe the human mind’s natural tendency to find familiar shapes in complex shapes or colors.In other words, matrixing occurs when you find a face in the shapes and shadows of a collection of objects, reflections or patterned surfaces. “One example of this was when a friend brought me a photo he had shot inside one of the tunnels at Fort Mott State Park. The walls are made of stone, stained with traces of the rusty water that has trickled down them for many years, and overgrown with moss.”Do you see the little boy standing there?” he asked. “Right there, it’s a little boy.” The figure he swore he saw was simply the patterns, colors and shadows on the stone wall. However, in his mind, he saw a little boy.”
Even Phoenix Paranormal SA uses equipment such as digital and video cameras, audio recorders and EMF (electromagnetic field) detectors, however, the most important piece of equipment is the investigator.
We have to take into consideration that the most important tool of all is ourselves.
The only issue is that this is the most difficult tool to operate when investigating. This is why it’s important to train ourselves to keep an open mind and always remember to consider every possibility before classifying an unusual object in a video or photo as a ghost.
Don’t succumb to the rising trend of matrixing an entity out of every picture that is taken.
Tips on identifying matrixing:
Look closely at the photograph. Pictures of trees, fields, cluttered rooms or closets, mirrors and glass are prime candidates for matrixing.
Closely examine the face or figure. If it is paranormal, the image will be made up of its own material, not what is in the photo.
Look at the proportions of the face or figure. If the image is disproportionate, it’s most likely matrixing.
